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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23675248">Home is Where the Heart is.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathakDancer/pseuds/KathakDancer'>KathakDancer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, F/F, Family Dynamics, Feeling left out, Gen, Not Fitting In, Pavander, Post-Second War with Voldemort, little familial angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:09:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23675248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathakDancer/pseuds/KathakDancer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dinners at the Patil house were always loud. There were no arguments at the dinner table, rather, the combination of Pappa’s booming voice, Mummy’s high-pitched laugh, Padma’s emphatic interjections, and Parvati’s… chuckles. Just chuckles, not much more. </p>
<p>When they were both in Hogwarts, coming home meant Indian food that burned your tongue a little. It meant sleeping in your own room and wandering outside for a walk whenever you pleased.</p>
<p>When the Patil twins graduated, though, coming home started to look different. Padma went into a Healer School near their parents, while Parvati and Lavender moved to central London. Parvati started practicing Divination, while Lavender worked at the Ministry. Separate lives, separate places. Parvati, knee deep in an apprenticeship, tried her best to keep up with her parents and sister, but was self-admittedly less than communicative. </p>
<p>So, could she really blame them for being the elephant in the room when she came home?"<br/>--<br/>Parvati and Padma go to their parent's home for dinner, but family is complicated in even the closest of households.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lavender Brown/Parvati Patil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Home is Where the Heart is.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dinners at the Patil house were always loud. There were no arguments at the dinner table, rather, the combination of Pappa’s booming voice, Mummy’s high-pitched laugh, Padma’s emphatic interjections, and Parvati’s… chuckles. Just chuckles, not much more. </p>
<p>When they were both in Hogwarts, coming home meant Indian food that burned your tongue a little. It meant sleeping in your own room and wandering outside for a walk whenever you pleased.</p>
<p>When the Patil twins graduated, though, coming home started to look different. Padma went into a Healer School near their parents, while Parvati and Lavender moved to central London. Parvati started practicing Divination, while Lavender worked at the Ministry. Separate lives, separate places. Parvati, knee deep in an apprenticeship, tried her best to keep up with her parents and sister, but was self-admittedly less than communicative. </p>
<p>So, could she really blame them for being the elephant in the room when she came home?</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>	Padma remained upstairs while Parvati set the table, not turning her head to call to her mother.</p>
<p>	“Mummy, do we need bowls and spoons today?”</p>
<p>	“Mm, yes, please.” Parvati’s mother stood at the stove, checking on the food she had prepared earlier. Her father bounced around the counters, making up cucumber and cumin salad for a fresh bite to the meal. </p>
<p>	As Parvati set the last spoon down, Padma came bounding down the stairs, going straight to her seat at the dinner table. Parvati sat beside her as their parents brought the food over and sat across from the twins – the same seats they had for years. </p>
<p>	As everyone was served, their mother started off the conversation asking about their days. Parvati shrugged, “It was fine, my apprenticeship is going well. I started more smoke work today.”</p>
<p>	“How does that even work?” Padma asked, eyes squinted, but teasing. </p>
<p>	“Just a matter of shapes and patterns,” Parvati explained, hands moving in excitement. “Especially because I can use incense to get a more refined look. Most don’t use it because they find it confusing, but I like it.”</p>
<p>	Their parents nodded, following along. “So, do you need more incense? We can send some,” their father offered, cheeks full, one hand patting his wife’s arm in absent affection.</p>
<p>	“If you have some you want to get rid of, sure. Lavender likes it too.”</p>
<p>	The man nodded, losing interest and turning his attention to Padma. “How are classes?”</p>
<p>	Padma launched into an explanation, one that quickly transformed into a teasing match between their Pappa, Mummy, and Padma. Parvati laughed, interjecting here and there, though no one responded – maybe they hadn’t heard. </p>
<p>	“But Pad, there’s no reason you have to learn those mechanisms! You never use them!” Pappa laughed, shaking his head at the English curriculum. </p>
<p>	“I mean, a base knowledge is good, I would hope you could remember not to mix those potions,” Parvati interjected, teasing their father. </p>
<p>	“’Vati, he knows, don’t be so serious,” Padma rolled her eyes, hand up as if to placate her sister.</p>
<p>	“I was just tea – .”</p>
<p>	“’Vati,” her father held up a hand, a teasing smile on his face. “You are an outsider, you don’t know how we,” he gestured to himself, their mother, and Padma, “communicate.”</p>
<p>	Parvati exhaled, smiling along with the laughter at the table. The joke was brought up at least once a day. Since Padma lived near their parents, she tended to visit more often. Parvati, through some of her own fault, didn’t keep up the connection as well. So, she couldn’t argue with the joke – it was of her own making. </p>
<p>--</p>
<p>	“Mummy, where does this go?” Parvati held up a massive pot, unsure which cabinet it was stored in. </p>
<p>	“Over there,” their mother gestured with a jerk of her head, putting the cutting boards by the sink to be washed. </p>
<p>	As Parvati moved, her mother called a question, “So when you’re at your flat, do you keep your dishes in the same way we do?”</p>
<p>	Parvati shrugged and turned, “More or less, glasses are closest to the sink, dishes next to that, spices near the stove…” she trailed off.</p>
<p>	“Does Lavender use any of the spices?” Pappa asked, helping Padma clear the table. </p>
<p>	“She does,” Parvati chuckled, half smiling. </p>
<p>	Perhaps she looked wistful for her partner, because her mother, a teasing pout on her face, said, “Oh, don’t worry, we’ll send you back to your girlfriend soooon!”</p>
<p>	Parvati looked around, confused at the comment, but saying nothing as her sister and father laughed at the joke. She forced a chuckle and moved to help with something else, but found almost everything finished. She reached for the cloth to clean the table when Pappa grabbed it, patting Parvati on the head.</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>Parvati apparated behind her flat, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked up, seeing a light still on inside. Trudging up to the door, she pulled out her keys, searching for the right one when the door swung open.</p>
<p>“Hi sweetheart!” Lavender beamed, stepping aside to let her partner in.</p>
<p>“Hey darling,” Parvati responded, crossing the threshold and toeing off her shoes. She put them in the shoe rack and went to the kitchen, Lavender closing the door behind them.</p>
<p>“How was dinner?” Lavender asked, coming up behind Parvati, who was getting a glass of water. </p>
<p>“Fine, parents are good. They’re starting a new television series, I forget the name.” Parvati answered automatically, rolling her head to release the tension in her shoulders.</p>
<p>“Padma good?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, she’s been up too late studying though. You can see it under her eyes.”</p>
<p>Lavender sighed, winding her arms around Parvati’s waist from behind. “Poor thing. Healer’s hazing?”</p>
<p>Parvati shrugged, draining her water and setting cup aside. She turned in Lavender’s grasp, dropping her head in to Lavender’s neck with a sigh.</p>
<p>“Tired?” Lavender chuckled.</p>
<p>Parvati gave a soft groan in response and straightened as Lavender pulled away.</p>
<p>“Well, go shower and we’ll have an early bedtime.”</p>
<p>Parvati nodded, stumbling to the bathroom. Lavender moved to follow when an owl’s screech at the window stopped her. She opened it up, the owl dropping a package in her hands before heading to the roost in the living room to rest. </p>
<p>Lavender opened the package, a heavily scented box and letter falling into her hands. She set the box aside and opened the letter.</p>
<p>
  <i> You forgot the incense. We picked something you and Lavender would like. Love you, Mummy and Pappa. <i></i></i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeah, this fic came from familial frustration of my own. Not even sure if it's a good ending, but here it is! Hope y'all enjoy anyway!</p>
<p>This fic is unbeta'd. If you see any errors, please let me know!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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